San Antonio Spurs Rookie Guard Dylan Harper underwent an operation to repair a partially torn collateral in his left thumb, sustained an injury on Wednesday during training for the season.
Dylan Harper hopes to return for season opener on time
Harper, 19, may be ready for the start of the regular season 2025-26, according to ESPNs Shams Charania. The Spurs open their schedule against the Dallas Mavericks on October 22.
If Harper is able to return on time for the season opener of San Antonio, he will compete against Rookie Sensation Cooper Flagg, the number 1 general choice in the NBA design of 2025.
San Antonio selected Harper with the number 2 overall choice in this year’s design from Rutgers University. He was also the most prepared player in the history of the school.
Dylan Harper is generally selected by the @Spurs in the 2025 #Nbadraft Presented by State Farm!
View ABC & ESPN. pic.twitter.com/myissvj3pt
– NBA (@NBA) June 26, 2025
“I now feel all the emotions,” Harper said after his selection. “I am excited and I am ready. If you play with a couple of great players, that will get the best out of you. San Antonio has a great young core. I am just ready to come in and make an impact in every way I can do with them.”
In 29 games (28 starts) of his only collegial season at Rutgers, on average 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 32.6 minutes per match while he shoots out 48.4% and 33.3% from 3-point area.
Harper, the son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper, was named the third team All-Big Ten and the Big at All-Freshman team with the Scarlet Knights.
Harper scored the most points by a first -year student in the history of Rutgers
Per College Basketball ReferenceHarper finished 11th in points (564) in the Big Ten, 15th in assists (117), 13th in Steals (42), 11th in field goals (194), 13th in free throws (126), seventh in player efficiency (24.6) and third in use percentage (29%).
His 564 total points were the most by a first -year student in a season in school history.
Last season, Harper had several remarkable trips, including scoring 36 points in an overtime victory against Notre Dame on November 26, then 37 points versus Alabama a day later, and the placement of a Triple-Double against Columbia on December 3.
That was the first Triple-Double of a Scarlet Knight since Roy Hinson in 1983. The resident of New Jersey then hit the buzzer beater to beat rival Seton Hall on December 14.
After this year’s NBA concept, the 6-foot-6 guard was an average of 16 points and four rebounds in two Summer League matches with the Spurs in July.
It is expected that Harper will join De’aaron Fox and the last two NBA smokies of the year – Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle – in the San Antonio rotation this season.
However, he could possibly miss the first week of the regular season.
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